Nothing Bigger
by Harmony'sLoveHP
Summary: As they walked away, Claire glanced over her shoulder. There was the man again. She looked at Shane. She wasn't crazy, and Oliver hadn't put something in her drink. She was confused about how she was the only person to see this man.


Disclaimer: I do not own Morganville Vampires. It belongs to Rachel Caine.

Characters: Shane/Claire

Setting: After the mysterious man comes to Morganville and vampires begin to come up missing.

Morganville Vampires

Drama/Mystery

Nothing Bigger

"What Michael and Eve want to do is their business, Shane," Claire said as she sat on the couch curled up to her boyfriend.

"Yeah, and I'll fight until I die for them, but I really don't want to die, Claire, at least not yet. I just don't like the looks those vamps are giving me," Shane said and involuntarily shivered.

"It's not that bad, Shane. After all, after all you've been through; you should be one of the less worried. I mean, between the two of us, we've both had more than enough near—death experiences," she said, rolling her eyes.

"'Near death'? Dude, I almost _died_!"

"Dude, hence the 'near—death'," Clair said with a smile. Shane rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," he said and stood. "So, I'm up for some ice cream after all this death talk. You in?"

"Ice cream and my boyfriend?" Claire mused. "Hm, I might have to think about that."

"What's to think about?" Shane asked.

"Um . . . vampires who want to kill us?"

"That's just Myrnin."

"Correction, he doesn't like you, as you don't like him."

"Same thing. So, are you in or are you out?" Shane asked as he grabbed his keys.

"I'm in, I guess," she said, grinning.

**X.X.X**

Claire sat across from Shane at Oliver's. She had a bowel of ice cream that she couldn't eat before it melted in front of her. Shane had been long done and was now watching her take delicate bites of her own ice cream. He was trying to be patient, though, she could tell.

"So . . . how's work?" Claire asked. Now that they'd talked about Even and Michael, it was time to talk about them.  
"It's good . . . How's your overachieving going?" he asked with a smirk. Claire lightly hit his arm.

"One, I am not overachieving, and to answer your question, fine, thanks."

"You are taking college classes when you should be a senior in high school. I think it's safe to say you're being an overachiever."

"Um, it's called being studious and getting an education."

"It's called overachieving."

"And you're a jackass."

"Ah, a compliment," Shane said, grinning.

"How is that a compliment?" Claire asked. Shane just smiled. She shook her head. Sometimes she didn't understand him.

She looked out the coffee shop window. There was the man again. This time, he looked directly at her. Claire could see him, but, then again, she couldn't actually seem him.

She shoved back her chair. Shane, Eve and Michael's wedding, everything, was suddenly forgotten. She ran out of the coffee shop, with Shane running after her and calling her name. She couldn't, wouldn't, stop until she found the man.

She skittered to a stop about a block from the coffee shop. The man turned and smirked at her before he dissolved and disappeared down the sewer drain. As soon as the man was gone, Shane appeared.

"Don't run off like that, Claire! You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"That . . . That man . . . did you see him?" she gasped out. She was really out so shape. Shane looked at her like she was nuts.

"No one's there, Claire. There wasn't anyone before, either," Shane said slowly.

"But, there was a man . . ." Claire said slowly.

"Come on, I think that Oliver slipped something into you drink." Shane said and put his arm around Claire's waist.

As they walked away, Claire glanced over at her shoulder. There was the man again. She looked at Shane. She wasn't crazy and Oliver hadn't put something in her drink. She was confused about how she was the only person to see things man.

She looked away. She wasn't going to worry right now. She had a psychotic wife—to—be at home, a stressed friend, and a boyfriend who thought she was crazy. She had more important things. This was Amelie's problem, not hers.

But, Claire couldn't help think about what would happen if this thing did become a bigger problem. It would no longer be Amelie's problem. No, if this thing turned out to be as bad as Bishop, it was the towns' problem.

Claire prayed it wouldn't be as bad as when Bishop came. She hoped it was a small and easy thing to get rid of. Nothing was easy, though. It never was when it came to Morganville. Everything was complicated and hard to figure out. That was just Morganville.


End file.
